How restaurants can use Christmas to keep busy in January

How restaurants can use Christmas to keep busy in January

Gearing up for Christmas

The average household will spend over £800 on Christmas this year, with 27% going on food and drink alone. Couple that with the information that as a nation we will each eat between two and five Christmas meals over the festive period, with a staggering 61% of people now choosing to eat out on Christmas day, restaurants are sure to be doing a roaring trade in the run up to Christmas.

Now is the perfect time to start encouraging people into your restaurant to get them into the festive spirit, and get them sampling your new Christmas menu so that they secure reservations for later on in the December. Email your existing customers today to let them know when your new menu will be available and what new dishes (particularly Christmas desserts) are available to try.

Sweeten the deal

During the busy period over Christmas, you will be getting lots of new customers through the doors, so make sure that you are taking the time to sign up Christmas customers up to your loyalty scheme during their visit.

There are a number of ways you can drive people to choose your restaurant over the one next door, and start creating loyal customers who visit on a regular basis. Everyone loves a bit of something special, at Christmas time even more so, so try offering something like a glass of bubbly with every main meal purchased, or a free mince pie with every coffee ordered.

Save any big discounts that you have planned until after New Year’s Day, when people will be feeling the pinch and looking to make savings any way they can. Traditional offers such as buy one main course get one free, or free starter with a main course, perform really well in January, so plan ahead to make sure your restaurant stays busy in the New Year.